Afghanistan has claimed that at least 46 people were killed in a Pakistani airstrike in Paktika province, Taliban deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said on Wednesday (December 25).
However, Pakistani government and military officials have not commented on the matter. The Telegraph reports.
Pakistan carried out a massive airstrike targeting a terrorist hideout in Afghanistan’s Paktika province on Tuesday, reportedly killing at least 15 people, including women and children.
According to a report by Khama Press, Pakistan carried out airstrikes on seven villages, including Laman, in Barmal district of Paktika province on Tuesday night, killing five members of a family.
Local sources claim that Pakistani warplanes were responsible for the bombing. Reports indicate that the airstrike destroyed the village of Murg Bazar in Barmal.
A report by Turkish media outlet Anadolu claims that these attacks were carried out targeting refugees from the Ojiristan region of Pakistan.
Read more: Taliban warns: Pakistan vows revenge
The airstrikes have caused serious civilian casualties and widespread destruction, further heightening tensions in the region. Rescue efforts are ongoing after the attack and further investigation is needed to confirm details and determine who is responsible, Khama Press reported.
The Pakistani attack on Afghan territory comes at a time of heightened tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, particularly over the presence of militants involved in terrorist activities in Pakistan on Afghan soil.
The Pakistani Taliban, or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has stepped up attacks on Pakistani security forces in recent months, and Pakistan has long accused the Afghan Taliban of harboring the militants.
